Hand applicator for assembling external retaining rings in their grooves by radial application

ABSTRACT

A hand applicator for assembling external retaining rings, specifically but not exclusively clip-type retaining rings of the structural form disclosed in copending Wurzel application Ser. No. 852,866, filed Aug. 25, 1969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,123, dated July 27, 1971, in grooves provided therefor in shafts, spindles, etc. by the so-called radial-application procedure, comprising an elongated rigid bar or strap member having at one end thereof a hook formation opening through a side edge thereof as enables said member to be hooked to said shafts, spindles, etc.; an applicator blade mounted substantially flush against the under face of said hook member and for translatory movement toward and away from the hook formation of the latter, said applicator blade being provided at the end thereof disposed toward said hook formation with relatively short-length arcuate jaws constructed and arranged to grip a ring to be assembled along its outer periphery and when translated towards same to project the ring bodily towards and finally seat same in its groove; said hook formation being adapted meanwhile to rest against the opposite side portion of the shaft towards which the applicator blade is being translated and being thereby operative to engender a force in opposition to that required to translate said applicator blade as aforesaid; and hand-manipulable means operative between the relatively rearward or distal ends of both said hook member and applicator blade for translating the latter throughout its working stroke, including a force-multiplying leverage system effective to greatly multiply the effort which the operator is required to exert to effect translation of said applicator blade as aforesaid.

United States Patent J anecka [54] HAND APPLICATOR FOR ASSEMBLING EXTERNAL RETAINING RINGS IN THEIR GROOVES BY RADIAL APPLICATION [72] Inventor: Gustav Janecka, Jackson Heights,

L.I.,N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Kohinoor Waldes Inc., Long Island City, NY.

[22] Filed: Sept. 23, I970 [2I] Appl. No.: 74,780

[52] U.S. Cl ..29/229, 29/241556 [51] Int. Cl. ..B25b 27/20 [58] Field of Search ..29/243.56, 243.52, 225, 229, 29/267, 268

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,483,379 9/1949 Brell ..29/225 UX 2,797,47l 7/l957 Hamberger ..29/229 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS |,085,527 7/1954 France ..29/243.56

Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant ExaminerMichael Koczo, .lr. Attorney-J. Harold Kilcoyne [57] ABSTRACT A hand applicator for assembling external retaining 51 Aug. 8, 1972 rings, specifically but not exclusively clip-type retaining rings of the structural form disclosed in copending Wurzel application Ser. No. 852,866, filed Aug. 25, I969, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,l23, dated July 27, I97 I, in grooves provided therefor in shafts, spindles, etc. by the so-called radial-application procedure, comprising an elongated rigid bar or strap member having at one end thereof a hook formation opening through a side edge thereof as enables said member to be hooked to said shafts, spindles, etc.; an applicator blade mounted substantially flush against the under face of said hook member and for translatory movement toward and away from the hook formation of the latter, said applicator blade being provided at the end thereof disposed toward said hook formation with relatively short-length arcuate jaws constructed and arranged to grip a ring to be assembled along its outer periphery and when translated towards same to project the ring bodily towards and finally seat same in its groove; said hook formation being adapted meanwhile to rest against the opposite side portion of the shaft towards which the applicator blade is being translated and being thereby operative to engender a force in opposition to that required to translate said applicator blade as aforesaid; and hand-manipulable means operative between the relatively rearward or distal ends of both said hook member and applicator blade for translating the latter throughout its working stroke, including a force-multiplying leverage system effective to greatly multiply the effort which the operator is required to exert to efiect translation of said applicator blade as aforesaid.

5 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures HAND APPLICATOR FOR ASSEMBLING EXTERNAL RETAINING RINGS IN THEIR GROOVFS BY RADIAL APPLICATION STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved handmanipulable tool, known in the art as a hand applicator, for assembling external spring retaining rings, particularly but not exclusively clip-type retaining rings as disclosed and claimed in the Hugo Wurzel US. Pat. No. 3,595,123, dated July 27, 1971 (which with the present application is commonly owned) in their shaft or spindle grooves, by applying thereto a push or thrust force as causes said rings to move radially toward and into said grooves, finally to springseat themselves against the groove bottom walls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Speaking generally, the assembly of clip-type retaining rings of the aforementioned type in the smaller sizes thereof designed for use with shafts or spindles of up to five-sixteenths inch in diameter may be accomplished with relative ease by a conventional hand applicator tool. However, because of the relatively great thickness-to-diameter ratio which is necessary to provide the extra holding strength required of such rings, the assembly of clip-type retaining rings designed for 5/ [6 inch diameter shafts and larger by a conventional hand applicator requires undue effort on the part of the operator, and with yet the very large-size rings the force required to assemble same is so great that the assembly thereof by the conventional hand applicator is completely unfeasible.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates and provides a hand-manipulable applicator capable of assembling clip-type retaining rings in their shaft or spindle grooves by bodily trusting them towards the shaft or spindle in the plane of said grooves by a straight, radially directed; push force, which is so constructed and arranged as to greatly reduce the efi'ort required of the operator to effect full and adequate assembly of such rings in their grooves, particularly rings of the sizes designed for shafts or spindles greater than five-sixteenths inch, and which because of the effectiveness thereof makes feasable the assembly of such rings of the larger sizes by a hand-manipulable applicator.

The invention also contemplates and provides an effective and practical hand-manipulable retaining-ring applicator which, although specifically designed for the assembly of clip-type retaining rings of a recently developed structural form thereof sold under the trademark Truarc Klipring" in their grooves, is also fully effective in assembling retaining rings of the so-called open, C-ring and E ring forms in their grooves.

In its more specific aspects, the invention further contemplates and provides a hand-manipulable applicator which overcomes the problem of the relatively great force required to assemble clip-type retaining rings of the larger sizes thereof in their grooves by so called radial application, which is so constructed and arranged as to effectively combine in a simple tool the following structural features: (I) a translatable pushtype applicator blade of the general type disclosed in the patent to Brell US. Pat. No. 2,483,379, (2) an elongated strap or bar member mounting said applicator blade for translating movement and which terminates at the one end thereof towards which the applicator blade is translated in a hook-like formation which is adapted to hook to the shaft or spindle in manner as, when the applicator blade is forcefully translated towards the shaft in the plane of the groove, to engender a force acting in opposition to that required to translate the applicator blade during the course of its movement through a ring-assembling stroke; and (3) hand-manipulable means for actuating the applicator blade throughout its working stroke which incorporates a force-multiplying leverage system effective to greatly multiply the hand effort required to so actuate the applicator blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will, it is believed, be readily understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawing illustrating preferred physical embodiments of a hand-manipulable clip-type retaining ring applicator constructed and operating in accordance with the principle of my invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of my improved applicator with parts shown in section to expose to view the forcemultiplying leverage system characterizing the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an applicator according to FIG. 1 as viewed from beneath, and which depicts the applicator blade in plan view;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG 4 is a fragmentary underface perspective view of the applicator of the invention which illustrates both the action of the applicator-blade component or element thereof in applying a push force on a retaining ring in the plane of the groove in which it is to seat, and the action of the hook formation provided at the end of the elongate rigid bar or strap member, which is shown to have taken positive hold on the shaft, in engendering or setting up a force in opposition to the aforesaid push force acting on said ring;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a clip-type retaining ring, for the assembly of which in its groove the applicator shown in the preceding views was specifically designed;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of applicator as seen from its under side, wherein the applicator blade takes the form of one suited to the assembly of so-called open, 0 and E-forrn retaining rings, in addition to clip-type retaining rings; and

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, illustrating the action of the modified applicator according to FIG. 6 in assembling a ring in its groove.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral 10 (FIG. 5) illustrates a clip-type retaining ring generally as disclosed in Wurzel application Ser. No. 852,866, now US. Pat. No. 3,595,123, dated July 27, I971 for which the hand-manipulable applicator of the present invention was specifically designed, it being observed that such ring comprises two circumferentially spacedapart and diagrammatically opposed segments or grip jaws 10a, 10b connected at their corresponding upper ends by a flexible bending arm 10c extending between said segments. The inner and outer edges of said opposed segments are concentric, and said inner edges extend along opposed arcs of a circle whose diameter by design is somewhat less than that of the circle of the bottom wall of the groove in which the ring is to be assembled. It is a further feature of the illustrated cliptype retaining ring that the free ends of its ring segments a, 10b are spaced apart an amount as to define a ring gap whose width is substantially less than the diameter of the circle of the shaft-groove bottom, and thus to assemble the ring, said segments must be spread apart by an amount such that the spacing between the said free ends at least equals the diameter of the circle of said groove bottom. This requisite spreading of the ring segments is taken into account and provided for in the design and manner of connection of said flexible bending arm 100 to said ring segments 10a, 10b, all as disclosed and claimed in the aforesaid Wurzel application. Suffice to say at this point is that the outer edge of said flexible bending arm extends along an arc of the same circle as that containing the arcuate outer edges of the ring segments 10a, 10b and hence said ring is basically one having a circular outer edge or perimeter.

While as earlier stated herein clip-type retaining rings of the structural form thereof shown in FIG. 5 in the sizes thereof for assembly in the grooves of shafts of five-sixteenths inch diameter and larger, because of their relatively great thickness-to-diameter ratio required to endow them with the extra holding strength which they must possess because of their relatively small arcuate length, are difficult to assemble and in the case of the very large ring sizes, are almost impossible of assembly in their shaft grooves, by means of the known hand applicator of the type widely used to assemble the conventional rings in a shaft groove by applying a straight push force to said ring in the plane of the groove until the ring seats against and grips with spring pressure to the groove bottom. To minimize if not wholly solve this problem, the invention provides an applicator which combines (I) an applicator blade generally designated 12 mounted for translatory movement in the direction of its length; (2) an elongated rigid strap-form member 42 mounting said applicator blade for such movement and having preferably at its one end towards which the applicator blade is moved in assembling a clip-type retaining ring in its shaft groove, a hook formation designated 44 which opens through a side edge thereof, the mouth of the hook being somewhat greater than the diameter of the shaft and the area of said hook opening being also greater than that of the shaft, whereby said hook-ended member may be hooked to the shaft and rested against the arcuate side portion of the shaft which is diametrically opposed to that side portion of said shaft towards which the applicator blade is actuated when partaking of its working or ring-assembling stroke, thus engendering a force acting in opposition to that required to effect the ring-assembling stroke; and (3) hand-manipulable means generally designated 52 for actuating the applicator blade throughout its working stroke which incorporates a force-multiplying leverage system effective to greatly reduce the hand effort required to be expended by the operator in assembling a ring in its groove.

More particularly, the applicator blade 12 preferably takes the structural form of that shown in the now ex pired Brell US. Pat. No. 2,483,379, in that it comprises a shank portion 14, from one end of which extends two elongated arms 16a, 16b terminating in co-planar arcuate jaws l8a, 18b having forward working edges 20a, 20b which extend along an arc of a circle and are preferably counter-recessed as shown, whereby said edges provide both ring-gripping edge portions 22a, 22b and ring-edge backing flanges 24a, 24b.

It will be appreciated that by forming the gripping edges of the jaws 18a, 18b so that they extend along arcs of a common circle of somewhat lesser diameter than that of the outer-edge diameter of a ring to be assembled, taken with the fact that said arms 16a, 16b are slightly resilient, as provides for limited movement of said jaws away from and towards one another in their own plane, said jaws can be designed so as to be capable of exerting a resilient gripping action on a ring to be assembled of sufficient magnitude as to hold it to the applicator during the course of each ring-assembling operation.

According to the invention, the applicator blade 12 is mounted in face engagement with the under face of the hook member 42, being operatively secured thereto by two shoulder screws 26a, 26b and flat washers 28a, 28b, but being also translatable in length-wise direction relative to said hook member within the limits of an elongated slot 30 provided in the shank portion 14 of the blade and through which the shanks of said shoulder screws pass, by the afore-mentioned hand manipulable means 52.

Said hand-manipulable means 52 comprises a fixed handle arm 54 which is shown to be secured to the end of the hook member 42 opposite that provided with the aforesaid hook formation 44 illustratively by a screw 56, thus to extend in longitudinal continuation of said hook member, and a companion hand-depressible handle arm 58, which latter preferably comprises one arm of a bellcrank lever generally designated 60 mounted to pivot on a pin 62 supported in relatively raised position above said hook member in a U-shaped support member 64 (shown in part section in FIG. 3), which is secured against the relatively upper face of the hook member by the aforementioned shoulder screw 26b.

The other arm 66 of the bellcrank 60 which it will be observed has substantially short length as compared to that of the handle arm 58 thereof, extends relatively downwardly from said pivot pin 62 and mounts at its free end a fixed pin 68 which freely engages in a slot 68a (see FIG. 3) provided in an upwardly bent tab 32 formed integral with the end of the applicator blade 12 opposite the end thereof providing the aforementioned gripping jaws 18a, 18b, said tab operating in a cut-out 48 provided in the rearward end of the hook member 42.

Depression of said depressible long handle arm 58 is resisted by a coil spring 70 extending between and operatively connected at its opposite ends to the shorter arm 66 of said bellcrank and the fixed handle arm 54, generally as shown in H6. I. Said coil spring 70 also functions to return the handle arm 58 and thereby the applicator blade to their respective retracted or at rest positions upon completion of each ring-assembling operation.

By design, when the applicator blade 12 is in its aforesaid retracted position in which it is generally shown in FIG. 2, its arcuate gripping jaws 18a, 18b are spaced relatively to the rear of the relatively rearward edge 46a of the hook opening 46 a distance as disposes a clip-type retaining ring then gripped by said gripping jaws and thus in the assembly-ready position also somewhat rearwardly of said rearward edge 46a of the hook opening. By such initial relationship of parts, the hook member 42 may be hookably engaged about a shaft without interference from (or interfering with) a ring to be assembled then held in the assembly-ready position by said applicator-blade gripping jaws.

Now referring to FIG. 4 which generally indicates a clip-type retaining ring of the fonn thereof shown in FIG. 5 in the course of being assembled in the shaft groove Sg by movement of the applicator blade towards said shaft and in the plane of said groove, such in response to the force F, applied in the direction of the arrow associated with said aforesaid designation, it will be observed that by engagement of its hook formation 44 against the opposite side portion of the shaft towards which the applicator blade 12 is moving, said hook member is also acting to engender a force F, in opposition to the aforesaid force F,.

It will be further observed that because the effort which the operator applies to the handle arms 54 and S8 in assembling a ring in its groove is inherently directed to the outer end portions of said handle arms, and also because the handle arm 58 constitutes the long arm of a bellcrank lever whose short arm 66 acts directly on the applicator blade, the described arrangement provides the necessary leverage to greatly multiply the hand efl'ort which the operator is required to exert to push the applicator blade throughout its working stroke.

While in FIG. 4 the clip-type retaining ring being assembled is shown as being gripped along the outer edge of only the flexible bending arm 10c which connects its ring segments 10a, 10b, as is desirable to keep the effective width of the applicator blade as small as possible and also to minimize the amount of spreading of its arcuate jaws 18a, 18b necessary to ring assembly, it is to be understood that the applicator blade may be formed with the greater width as in turn enables said jaws 18a, 18b to have the greater arcuate length required to effectively grip not only the larger sizes of clip-type retaining rings but also conventional C rings, E rings and like open rings, thus extending the range of utility of an applicator as herein proposed.

FIG. 6 illustratively depicts the forward part of an applicator 80 whose applicator blade 82 is formed wider than the applicator blade 12 according to FIG. 2, for example, as in turn enables the arcuate gripping jaws 88a, 88b thereof to be designed with the arcuate length as together encompass and effectively grip a large-size clip-type retaining ring of the type shown in FIG. 5 throughout an approximately 180 arc of its effective outer edge (see FIG. 7), and in similar manner to grip the more conventional open rings, C-form and E-form rings throughout approximately 180 of their outer edges.

In the foregoing, brief mention is made of the fact that the applicator blade, when actuated throughout its relatively forward or working stroke, operates to assemble various sizes and types of retaining rings gripped by its arcuate jaws, without any statement in explanation of the manner and procedure required for said rings to reach the applicator so as to be gripped by said applicator-blade jaws. The explanation is that, while conceivably said rings could be placed, one at a time, by hand in the applicator in position to be gripped by the arcuate jaws of its applicator blade, it is contemplated that an applicator as disclosed is designed as to be capable, when cooperated with a dispenser of the type disclosed and claimed in my application for US. Letters Pat., Ser. No. 74,779, filed concurrently herewith, to pick off rings to be assembled, one at a time, from a supply thereof maintained in stack formation on a magazine rail forming a part of the dispenser and thereupon, if designed as a portable tool, to transport the so picked-off rings held in the applicator to the shaft or spindle in whose groove ring assembly is called for.

From the above it will be appreciated that a clip-type retaining ring applicator having the structural formation thereof as described and illustrated satisfies the objectives of the invention as explained in the foregoing in simple and highly effective manner. However, as minor constructional changes as may be needed to put the invention and concept thereof into practice may be required, it is intended and is to be understood that all matter contained in the herein description and accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not as limiting.

I claim:

1. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings of the various types designed for radial assembly in their shaft and/or spindle grooves comprising, in combination: an applicator blade terminating at one end in coplanar resiliently interconnected grip jaws adapted to grip between them a ring to be installed along an arcuate outer-edge portion thereof opposite its shaft-receiving opening; an elongated n'gid strap form member; pin-and-slot means securing said applicator blade and said rigid strap member in face engagement and providing also for guided translatory movement of said blade with respect to said strap member from and to a normal retracted position thereon in which its grip jaws, upon gripping a'ring, are adapted to maintain same in an assembly-ready" position in which it is disposed relatively rearwardly from the end of the rigid strap member corresponding to the grip-jaw end of said applicator blade; means provided on said end of the strap member for taking positive hold on the shaft and/or spindle external surface during the course of the translatory movement of the applicator blade from its aforesaid normal retracted position throughout a ring installing stroke; and hand-manipulable force-multiplying means operative between the rigid strap member and an end portion of the applicator blade remote from its said grip jaw end for translating said applicator blade from its aforesaid retracted position throughout its said ring-installing stroke; the construction and arrangement being such that during the course of said translatory movement the hold which said strap member is adapted to take on the shaft and/or spindle engenders a force in opposition to that required to translate the applicator blade throughout its ring-installing stroke.

2. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings in their grooves according to claim 1, wherein said hand-manipulable force-multiplying means comprises a bellcrank leverage system effective to greatly multiply the hand force which the operator applies to translate the applicator blade throughout its ring-installing stroke.

3. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings in their grooves according to claim 2. wherein said hand-manipulable force-multiplying means comprises an elongate handle immovably affixed to the relatively rearward end of said rigid strap member and extending in longitudinal continuation thereof and a depressible handle being the longer arm of a bellcrank lever mounted for bodily rotation about a pivot supported in relatively raised position from the rearward end of said rigid strap member and whose i said handles.

shorter arm extends to and is pin-and-slot connected to the relatively rearward end of said applicator blade, said handle construction and arrangement providing leverage advantage as substantially multiplies the hand 5. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings according to claim 1, wherein the means on the strap member for taking positive hold on the shaft and/or spindle external surface as aforesaid comprises the relatively rearwardly facing edge in part defining the opening of a sidewardly opening hook formation in which said strap member terminates. 

1. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings of the various types designed for radial assembly in their shaft and/or spindle grooves comprising, in combination: an applicator blade terminating at one end in coplanar resiliently interconnected grip jaws adapted to grip between them a ring to be installed along an arcuate outer-edge portion thereof opposite its shaft-receiving opening; an elongated rigid strap form member; pin-and-slot means securing said applicator blade and said rigid strap member in face engagement and providing also for guided translatory movement of said blade with respect to said strap member from and to a normal retracted position thereon in which its grip jaws, upon gripping a ring, are adapted to maintain same in an ''''assembly-ready'''' position in which it is disposed relatively rearwardly from the end of the rigid strap member corresponding to the grip-jaw end of said applicator blade; means provided on said end of the strap member for taking positive hold on the shaft and/or spindle external surface during the course of the translatory movement of the applicator blade from its aforesaid normal retracted position throughout a ring installing stroke; and hand-manipulable force-multiplying means operative between the rigid strap member and an end portion of the applicator blade remote from its said grip jaw end for translating said applicator blade from its aforesaid retracted position throughout its said ring-installing stroke; the construction and arrangement being such that during the course of said translatory movement the hold which said strap member is adapted to take on the shaft and/or spindle engenders a force in opposition to that required to translate the applicator blade throughout its ring-installing stroke.
 2. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings in their grooves according to claim 1, wherein said hand-manipulable force-multiplying means comprises a bellcrank leverage system effective to greatly multiply the hand force which the operator applies to translate the applicator blade throughout its ring-installing stroke.
 3. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings in their grooves according to claim 2, wherein said hand-manipulable force-multiplying means comprises an elongate handle immovably affixed to the relatively rearward end of said rigid strap member and extending in longitudinal continuation thereof and a depressible handle being the longer arm of a bellcrank lever mounted for bodily rotation about a pivot supported in relatively raised position from the rearward end of said rigid strap member and whose shorter arm extends to and is pin-and-slot connected to the relatively rearward end of said applicator blade, said handle construction and arrangement providing leverage advantage as substantially multiplies the hand force which the operator applies in translating the applicator blade throughout its ring-installing stroke.
 4. A hand applicator for installing external spring retaining rings in their grooves according to claim 3, and wherein spring means operative between said shorter arm of the bell crank lever and said fixed handle effects return of the applicator blade to its normal retracted position upon release of hand pressure on said handles.
 5. A hand applicator for installing exteRnal spring retaining rings according to claim 1, wherein the means on the strap member for taking positive hold on the shaft and/or spindle external surface as aforesaid comprises the relatively rearwardly facing edge in part defining the opening of a sidewardly opening hook formation in which said strap member terminates. 